Outrage over Trayvon Martin shooting spreads

Marchers took to the streets in New York City and Miami Wednesday, demanding the arrest of the shooter, neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

And he’s not the only one under fire.

In Manhattan, hundreds demonstrated, seeking justice, they said, for Martin.

The “Million Hoodie March” got its name because Martin was wearing a hoodie on Feb. 28, the night Zimmerman shot him.

Martin’s parents were at the New York protest, surrounded by supporters.

“Our son was not committing any crime,” said Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton. “Our son is your son. I want you guys to stand up for justice and stand up for what’s right.” That got a loud “yeah” from the crowd.

Sanford, Fla. police chief slammed amid public outcry

The other rally was in the city where Martin lived. “We are one!” the crowd chanted.

Three weeks ago, the unarmed Martin was shot in a gated subdivision in Sanford, outside Orlando. He’d been visiting his father after getting suspended from school.

Zimmerman, whose family says is Hispanic but whom police have described as white, was not arrested. He claimed self-defense.

Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which expands the right to claim self-defense beyond the home, has come into focus in this case.

On Wednesday night, in a 3-2 split vote, the Sanford City Council, including Mayor Jeff Triplett, backed a no-confidence motion against Police Chief Bill Lee.

“I could’ve gone either way on it, but what I have seen, I have to say, I’ve seen better,” Triplett said.

Lee’s fate now lies in the hands of the City Manager Norton Bonaparte. “The reality,” he said, “is what did Chief Lee do? Did he act inappropriately? Has he caused a problem? That is what I’m gonna be looking at.”

At an earlier NAACP forum in Sanford, some complained about a history of local police intimidation. “It’s really getting out of hand,” one person said, “and there’s too many young people that have died.”

As that tension rises, the co-author of the Stand Your Ground law, in effect since 2005, is now saying it may need to be clarified.

“Nothing’s ever finished in the legislature, I learned that. Everything can always be re-addressed,” State Rep. Dennis Baxley observed.

He told us the law wasn’t intended to cover citizens who pursue suspected threats.

So is he willing to revisit the language in the law and potentially change it?

“We need to look at the circumstances that occurred and see if some kind of legislation is in order,” Baxley responded.

Fla. Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday the law probably needs a fresh look.

At least two more rallies are planned for Thursday, and Zimmerman remains in hiding.